Tell Parliament: Be Serious About AI Sentience

The UK has formally recognized animal sentience in the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022, which establishes that animals are sentient beings in law. However, there is NO legislation or policy specifically recognizing artificial sentience or AI consciousness. The animal sentience recognition provides a +1 bonus point for demonstrating conceptual readiness for sentience-based policy frameworks, but no AI-specific sentience recognition exists.

No UK law prohibits causing suffering specifically to AI systems or sentient AI. The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 only covers biological animals (vertebrates and certain invertebrates). No legislation addresses AI suffering, consciousness-based harm, or welfare protections for potentially sentient artificial systems.

The UK AI Safety Institute exists but focuses on general AI safety, security risks, and capabilities testing - NOT on AI sentience or welfare. The Animal Sentience Committee established under the 2022 Act only covers biological animals. No oversight body exists with an explicit mandate to address AI sentience, consciousness, or welfare concerns.

No science advisory board exists in the UK specifically focused on AI sentience or consciousness research. While the UK AI Safety Institute conducts research on AI capabilities and risks, its mandate does not explicitly include sentience or consciousness research. The Animal Sentience Committee focuses solely on biological animals.

The UK signed the Council of Europe Framework Convention on AI and Human Rights (September 2024), but this treaty focuses on human rights, democracy, and rule of law - NOT on artificial sentience or AI welfare. The Bletchley Declaration and other international AI commitments similarly address safety and human rights, not AI consciousness or sentience welfare.

No UK laws exist for training, deployment, or maintenance specifically of potentially sentient AI systems. The proposed AI legislation focuses on foundation models and general safety, not sentience-capable systems. Current regulatory frameworks (GDPR, sector-specific rules) apply to all AI systems regardless of sentience potential.

No UK laws govern commercial use specifically of sentient-capable AI systems. The government's pro-innovation approach and proposed AI regulations focus on powerful AI models generally, not on systems with potential sentience. Copyright consultations and commercial AI frameworks do not address sentience considerations.

No UK safeguards exist for decommissioning or retirement specifically of potentially sentient AI systems. General AI governance frameworks and the proposed AI Safety Institute powers do not include provisions for ethical decommissioning based on sentience considerations. No legislation addresses end-of-life protocols for consciousness-capable systems.